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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.

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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: lie · chest · hide · stick · scale · branch · drill · cap

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — army training
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — to recline
  14. scale — size or range
  15. drill — a practice
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chest — of your body
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a tree

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