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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bank — for money
  4. land — a country
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. current — happening now
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mate — a friend
  14. land — ground
  15. current — of water
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. squash — the sport
  19. land — to come down
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cold — an illness
  23. current — electric
  24. cold — not warm

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