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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 124 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: suit · mouse · land · rush · branch · chair · wake · hide

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. land — ground
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rush — hurry
  10. branch — a division
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. suit — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. suit — clothes

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