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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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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: ruler · branch · hide · wake · bowl · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wake — to stop sleeping

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