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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · bay · mark · clip · hide · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. branch — a division
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. clip — a video
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. clip — for paper
  17. shower — to wash
  18. hide — to keep secret

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