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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — a country
  6. bank — for money
  7. stock — goods
  8. fall — the season
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. land — ground
  12. object — a thing
  13. track — a song
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — a face
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stock — shares
  18. fall — to drop
  19. land — to come down
  20. bank — for money
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. object — an aim

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