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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
468
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: wound · deal · spell · land · bank · chip · leaves · hide

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. land — ground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. land — to come down
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — of a river
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spell — magic
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. land — a country
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chip — for betting

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