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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: track · hide · object · foot · branch · pop · squash · season

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pop — to visit
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. object — a thing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pop — soda
  10. object — an aim
  11. track — to keep track
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pop — music
  15. track — a song
  16. squash — the sport
  17. foot — a measure
  18. season — of the year
  19. object — to protest
  20. branch — a division
  21. track — a path
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. season — in sport
  24. 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