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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
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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: branch · ball · net · last · fan · hide · spring · suit

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. suit — to fit
  9. branch — a division
  10. last — to go on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. last — finally
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. last — final
  23. net — after costs
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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