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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · suit · wave · hide · deal · branch · land · fall

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fall — the season
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. suit — clothes
  9. branch — a division
  10. suit — in cards
  11. land — a country
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — to come down
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. land — ground
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. deal — a big deal

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