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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: leaves · hand · rock · board · land · deal · dip · branch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — to come down
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hand — help
  8. board — a committee
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rock — a stone
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — to get on
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hand — in cards
  18. land — a country
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. land — ground

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