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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: court · hide · mine · wake · branch · fine · can · object

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — a division
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fine — high quality
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. court — for sport
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mine — for digging
  18. court — of law
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fine — all right
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. object — an aim
  24. mine — belonging to me

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