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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — hasty
  7. branch — a division
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — a series
  20. bank — for money
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bank — of a river
  24. branch — of a tree

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