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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.

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: racket · pop · leaves · hide · race · rush · bay · branch

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. race — a contest
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — a division
  8. pop — soda
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pop — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. race — the arms race
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — a loud noise

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