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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lie — to recline
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stand — to bear
  10. land — to come down
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — shares
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. charge — a price
  17. ground — a position
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. ground — the earth
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stock — goods
  24. charge — in control

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