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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 124 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — low music
  5. capital — a city
  6. land — to come down
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a cake
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — a list
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — ground
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. capital — money
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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