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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. arm — part of the body

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