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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.

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: branch · fork · hide · staff · shower · suit · field · arm

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. branch — a division
  3. field — for sport
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. suit — clothes
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fork — in a road
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — to fit
  16. field — a subject
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. shower — to wash
  23. field — farmland
  24. hide — to keep secret

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