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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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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: spring · fine · lie · staff · present · stand · branch · hide

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stand — to bear
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. present — the time now
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spring — the season
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — employees
  17. spring — of water
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. staff — employees
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fine — all right

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