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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. band — a ring
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — for money
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. band — a music group
  16. kid — child
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. land — ground
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wax — to grow

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