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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bank — for money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mug — a cup
  6. capital — a city
  7. wake — a trail
  8. land — to come down
  9. mug — to rob
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. land — a country
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. dip — to sink
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mug — a face
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mine — for digging
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. land — ground
  24. capital — money

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