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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.

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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. branch — a division
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ground — a position
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mate — a friend

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