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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: deal · scale · lie · hide · chest · bore · swing · branch

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. swing — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. swing — to play on
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chest — of your body
  15. scale — in music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chest — a box
  20. swing — in golf
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bore — to drill

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