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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tear — from crying
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. branch — a division
  21. plane — a tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. straw — a straw man

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