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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — decided
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. court — for sport
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — steady
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. court — of a king
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. firm — a company
  22. dip — to sink
  23. foot — a measure
  24. court — of law

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