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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cap — a lid
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — of ice
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. sharp — clever
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rush — a thrill

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