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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ball — a great time
  3. branch — a division
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — thin
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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