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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. last — to go on
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — finally
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wound — an injury

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