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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. sharp — clever
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. drill — army training
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pop — to visit
  12. drill — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. drill — a practice

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