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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: land · stand · wake · rash · mouse · branch · deal · rock

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wake — a trail
  11. land — ground
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. land — a country
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. branch — a division
  17. land — to come down
  18. rash — a series
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. deal — to handle

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