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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — to come down
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. object — a thing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wake — a trail
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — to protest
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. object — an aim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. land — ground

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