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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.

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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. object — an aim
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. object — a thing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. deal — to handle
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — to protest
  14. season — in sport
  15. current — happening now
  16. season — of the year
  17. perch — the fish
  18. current — electric
  19. bark — to shout
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. current — of water

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