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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. object — to protest
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. can — a tin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spring — of water
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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