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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. club — for golf
  5. object — a thing
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. present — the time now
  12. deal — to handle
  13. present — a gift
  14. object — an aim
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. club — a group
  17. foot — a measure
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. present — there
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. object — to protest

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