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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. object — to protest
  3. net — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stock — goods
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. root — of a word
  8. stock — shares
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — after costs
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — a thing
  23. branch — a division
  24. object — an aim

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