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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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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: ruler · present · chair · cabinet · hide · bowl · branch · wind

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. present — the time now
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. present — a gift
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — there
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chair — a leader

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