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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. last — finally
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bank — for money
  5. land — ground
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. firm — decided
  12. last — final
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. land — to come down
  15. fork — in a road
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bear — the animal

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