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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a match
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. land — a country
  10. wake — a trail
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. game — wild animals
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. craft — boats
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a skill

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