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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: rush · net · wound · mug · staff · bowl · hide · branch

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — after costs
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. net — in sport
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. net — for catching
  17. branch — a division
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bowl — a dish

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