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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
468
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: date · hide · spell · branch · snap · cabinet · mark · foot

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — a short time
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. date — the fruit
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. foot — a measure
  13. spell — magic
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to click
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — a division
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. spell — letters
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mark — to pay attention

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