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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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 tree
  3. bear — the animal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. snap — to click
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. branch — a division
  24. drill — the tool

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