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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: bowl · ball · foot · hide · cabinet · branch · fall · wound

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fall — the season
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. foot — a measure
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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