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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — help
  6. tube — a container
  7. mug — a face
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rush — hurry
  17. branch — a division
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rash — a series
  24. tube — the underground

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