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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ground — the earth
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — crushed
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — a position
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a great time
  16. branch — a division
  17. net — in sport
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. net — for catching
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. net — after costs

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