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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: march · hide · bank · deal · stem · hand · land · chip

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bank — for money
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. land — ground
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — to come down
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bank — of a river
  18. march — the month
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chip — to eat
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. land — a country
  24. stem — a stem cell

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