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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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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: branch · fan · rush · present · bark · hide · face · tube

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — the time now
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. branch — a division
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. present — there
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to confront
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — a gift
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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