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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. band — a music group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — a division
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. club — for golf
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. staff — a stick
  21. row — a line
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — employees
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com