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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · branch · cap · hide · chip · saw · lie · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. land — ground
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. land — a country
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cap — a hat
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. land — to come down
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — to eat
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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