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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kid — child
  5. object — a thing
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. press — a publisher
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — to protest
  16. kid — to tease
  17. object — an aim
  18. mate — a friend
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — to breed
  22. press — to push
  23. can — a tin
  24. press — newspapers

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