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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. band — a ring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — army training
  14. band — a music group
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. drill — a practice

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