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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · branch · hide · wind · scale · bound · mug · hand

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. hand — help
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bound — obliged
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bound — certain
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — a division
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mug — a face
  20. scale — in music
  21. mug — to rob
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mug — a cup
  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