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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chip — to eat
  4. object — a thing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — an aim
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. land — a country
  15. object — to protest
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — a horse colour

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