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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 116 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: branch · land · leaves · staff · kid · row · can · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — a division
  9. staff — a stick
  10. row — a line
  11. kid — child
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kid — to tease
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. row — to paddle
  24. staff — employees

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