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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: clip · ground · firm · foot · bear · bay · branch · hide

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. firm — decided
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. ground — crushed
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ground — a position
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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