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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: lie · branch · sharp · toast · fan · hide · bowl · pound

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pound — a weight
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. toast — bread
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — a supporter

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