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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. tube — a container
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — a group
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. club — for golf
  13. land — ground
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bank — for money
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bank — of a river
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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