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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a committee
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — to get on
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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