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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: kid · lean · branch · ball · leaves · straw · track · hide

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. branch — a division
  7. lean — thin
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kid — child
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. track — a song
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — a path
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. branch — of a tree

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