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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bore — to drill
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — the underground
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. branch — a division

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