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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. land — to come down
  5. board — to get on
  6. land — a country
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. squash — to crush
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — to come from
  14. squash — the sport
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. branch — a division
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. board — a committee

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