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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: chair · branch · cabinet · bat · spell · lie · hide · mark

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bat — the animal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — magic
  16. mark — a grade
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. spell — letters
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a professorship

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