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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tear — from crying
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. can — to be able to
  16. branch — a division
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fine — all right
  19. wind — moving air
  20. tear — to rip
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — a penalty

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