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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. bank — of a river
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. season — of the year
  15. can — a tin
  16. bank — for money
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fall — the season
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — in sport
  22. land — ground
  23. fall — to drop
  24. can — to be able to

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