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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tube — a container
  3. spell — magic
  4. net — after costs
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — a short time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — a division
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — for catching

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