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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: object · cabinet · mouse · wound · current · deal · branch · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. object — an aim
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — ground
  16. branch — a division
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. land — to come down
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — electric
  24. object — to protest

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