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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — to come down
  5. file — a document
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chip — to eat
  19. land — ground
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. land — a country
  24. ball — a dance

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