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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. suit — in cards
  3. land — a country
  4. rest — a break
  5. stock — goods
  6. staff — a stick
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mate — a friend
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — shares
  20. suit — to fit
  21. land — ground
  22. mate — a partner
  23. land — to come down
  24. rest — what's left

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