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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — decided
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. drill — army training
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — a video
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. firm — a company
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. branch — a division
  20. kid — to tease
  21. clip — to cut
  22. firm — steady
  23. kid — child
  24. drill — the tool

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