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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. branch — a division
  6. land — to come down
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. staff — a stick
  12. land — ground
  13. game — a match
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bank — for money
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. squash — the sport
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wound — an injury

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