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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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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: fall · branch · bowl · wind · nail · ruler · hide · leaves

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fall — the season
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — moving air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. branch — a division
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bowl — a football final

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