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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: bore · branch · hand · land · rule · wave · hide · stand

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rule — government
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — a division
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stand — to bear
  9. hand — help
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. land — a country
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rule — a law
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. land — ground
  24. hand — in cards

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