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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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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bank — for money
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. tube — a container
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. land — ground
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bound — tied together
  11. current — electric
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mine — for digging
  17. current — of water
  18. bank — of a river
  19. toast — bread
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bank — for money

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