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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rest — a break
  9. mate — to breed
  10. land — ground
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bank — of a river
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. press — newspapers
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mate — a partner
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — a sauce

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