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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. capital — money
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. suit — in cards
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rest — a break
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. capital — a city
  16. shower — rain
  17. fine — high quality
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. rest — what's left
  23. shower — to wash
  24. hide — to keep secret

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