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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 120 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: game · object · branch · land · fan · deal · hide · rest

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. land — a country
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. object — to protest
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. land — ground
  14. deal — to handle
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — to come down
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — a break
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rest — what's left

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