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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: cell · hand · tube · lie · shower · bark · branch · cabinet

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — rain
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. tube — a container
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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