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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — a division
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. tube — a container
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — a line
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — the underground
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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