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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. land — a country
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mark — a trace
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. march — the month
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — the month
  10. land — ground
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. branch — a division
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. land — to come down
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. march — music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wave — with your hand

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