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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 116 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: leaves · suit · rash · hide · hand · band · branch · ground

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. branch — a division
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. band — a music group
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. band — a ring
  12. ground — the earth
  13. hand — in cards
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. hand — help

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