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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 120 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: branch · lie · bear · hide · mouse · mate · wind · fork

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — in a road
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. branch — a division
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fork — to eat with

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