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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bore — gave birth
  3. rule — government
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mug — a cup
  9. dip — to sink
  10. land — to come down
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bore — to tire
  17. land — a country
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — a law
  20. mug — a face
  21. bore — to drill
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bank — for money
  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