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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — of a river
  9. root — of a word
  10. bank — for money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — a break
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. root — the cause
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. root — of a plant
  20. land — a country
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — to come down
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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