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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.

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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: hide · bat · leaves · branch · key · mark · hand · bowl

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. branch — a division
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. mark — to pay attention

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