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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — magic
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. staff — a stick
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bank — of a river
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mine — for digging
  17. land — to come down
  18. spell — a short time
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. spell — letters
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — a country

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