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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rush — hurry
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. dip — to sink
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. branch — of a bank

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