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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: kid · nail · bound · bowl · cap · last · hide · branch

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. last — to go on
  10. kid — to tease
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. branch — a division
  18. last — finally
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — final
  22. cap — a lid
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bound — certain

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