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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. clip — a video
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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