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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — the season
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spring — of water
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spring — a coil
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — in football
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. branch — a division

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