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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 · can · scale · kick · mark · cell · fork · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — a division
  8. cell — in biology
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — a tin
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cell — a phone
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. kick — in football
  21. scale — size or range
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. can — a tin

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