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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. drill — army training
  3. key — in music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. band — a ring
  6. drill — a practice
  7. land — ground
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spell — letters
  13. band — a music group
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. land — to come down
  18. bank — of a river
  19. key — the most important part
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a rubber band

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