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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. spell — magic
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spell — letters
  11. row — to paddle
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — boats
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. craft — a skill
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mine — for digging
  22. row — a line
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a handicraft

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