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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 124 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: season · bark · dip · game · hide · branch · shower · drill

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a match
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — army training
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. season — of the year
  13. shower — rain
  14. bark — to shout
  15. season — in sport
  16. drill — the tool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. shower — to wash
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. drill — a practice

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