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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: saw · bore · branch · wake · roll · staff · board · land

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. roll — a cake
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bore — to tire
  12. board — to get on
  13. branch — a division
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — to drill
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — a committee
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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