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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 · land · hide · cap · safe · lie · bark · swing

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cap — a hat
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cap — of ice
  7. land — ground
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. swing — music
  16. branch — a division
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — a lid
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — an untruth

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