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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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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: hide · branch · rule · game · coach · roll · deal · plane

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. rule — government
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. roll — a list
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. roll — a cake
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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