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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — child
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bank — of a river
  6. land — ground
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. last — to go on
  12. bank — for money
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. land — a country
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of a king
  24. kid — to tease

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