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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · hide · branch · kid · land · rule · bear · wax

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. kid — to tease
  5. branch — a division
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rule — a law
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kid — child
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. land — to come down
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rule — government
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mug — to rob

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