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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. shower — rain
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. tube — the underground
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. nail — for a hammer

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