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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — to come down
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — for money
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — army training
  10. clip — a video
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. clip — for paper
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rock — music
  18. land — ground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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