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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. current — electric
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. net — in sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — to go on
  21. net — for catching
  22. last — final
  23. lie — to recline
  24. net — after costs

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