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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. march — the month
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lean — thin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — ground
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — for money
  21. chip — to eat
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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