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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.

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: shower · branch · cell · hide · hand · mate · cabinet · bear

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cell — in biology
  5. branch — a division
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hand — help
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cell — a phone
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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