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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. land — ground
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. land — a country
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. craft — a skill
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. file — a document
  14. can — a tin
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. branch — a division
  21. mine — for digging
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mark — a grade
  24. land — to come down

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