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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ball — a dance
  13. kid — child
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mark — a grade
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. band — a music group
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — to tease
  24. band — a ring

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