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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 116 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: lie · hide · kick · tube · branch · cabinet · perch · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. branch — a division
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — in football
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. perch — for a bird

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