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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.

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: hide · roll · kick · bark · straw · plane · branch · bowl

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. roll — a list
  12. kick — in football
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bark — to shout
  23. roll — a cake
  24. branch — of a bank

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