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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pop — soda
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rule — a law
  10. branch — a division
  11. rule — government
  12. object — a thing
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — to protest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. branch — of a tree

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