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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. land — a country
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. last — to go on
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chair — a leader
  12. last — final
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — to eat
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — ground
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — to go away

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