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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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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: file · mouse · hide · kick · branch · bear · fork · lash

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. file — a line of people
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. file — a document
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. fork — in a road
  13. file — a tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — animal skin

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