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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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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. land — ground
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. branch — a division
  13. wind — moving air
  14. land — to come down
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — to protest
  17. spell — letters
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — magic
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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