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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — a country
  6. spell — a short time
  7. content — the amount
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bank — for money
  11. land — ground
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — for money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — happy
  20. spell — letters
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  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