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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. chair — a leader
  3. land — to come down
  4. rest — a break
  5. land — ground
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. land — a country
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kid — to tease
  12. key — in music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — a face
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kid — child
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pit — in a race

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