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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — of the year
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. season — in sport
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fork — in a road
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kid — child
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — to tease
  19. vault — a safe
  20. branch — a division
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lie — to recline
  23. shower — rain
  24. lie — an untruth

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