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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: stand · tear · present · mug · net · cabinet · branch · land

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. land — ground
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stand — to bear
  7. land — a country
  8. net — after costs
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — a face
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mug — to rob
  14. present — there
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. branch — a division
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. land — to come down

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