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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: straw · hide · branch · spell · lie · tube · nail · mug

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mug — to rob
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. spell — magic
  14. mug — a cup
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — a division
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mug — a face
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spell — letters

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