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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. clip — for paper
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. land — to come down
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — help
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — a video
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. land — a country
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. content — happy
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bank — of a river

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