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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. staff — employees
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — a division
  8. bass — the fish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — money
  15. bass — low music
  16. capital — a city
  17. firm — steady
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. firm — decided
  24. staff — a stick

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