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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 116 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 going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. land — a country
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — of a river
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — the amount
  14. fall — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. mug — a face
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — a cup

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