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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. last — to go on
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. branch — a division
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. last — final
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ground — a position
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — crushed
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. last — finally
  24. cabinet — ministers

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