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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. drill — a practice
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spell — letters
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — to cool the air

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