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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — a position
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — finally
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. branch — a division
  21. last — final
  22. ground — crushed
  23. last — to go on
  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