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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 120 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 not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. band — a ring
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — for catching
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — a division
  13. rock — a stone
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rock — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rush — hurry
  21. band — a music group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wound — an injury

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