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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 116 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: club · safe · spring · land · branch · stand · object · kick

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. kick — in football
  3. club — a group
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — to come down
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. object — to protest
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. spring — of water
  12. object — a thing
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. club — for dancing
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. branch — a division
  17. spring — the season
  18. club — for golf
  19. object — an aim
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — ground
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stand — to bear

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