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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cold — not warm
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ball — a dance
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fork — a garden 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