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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. fall — the season
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — ground
  7. stock — goods
  8. rest — a break
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — to come down
  12. present — there
  13. stock — shares
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a path
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. branch — a division
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. fall — to drop
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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