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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of a king
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. fall — to drop
  8. court — of law
  9. mate — a friend
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. club — for dancing
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mate — a partner
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. fall — the season
  20. court — for sport
  21. bark — to shout
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. mate — to breed

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