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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — hurry
  3. branch — a division
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. season — in sport
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. season — of the year
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. plane — an aircraft

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