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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. land — ground
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chip — to eat
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. land — a country
  15. ground — crushed
  16. branch — a division
  17. craft — boats
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — a stone
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chip — for betting
  24. ground — a position

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