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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 124 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spring — of water
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fall — to drop
  12. land — to come down
  13. tube — the underground
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. land — ground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. branch — a division
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fall — the season
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. mine — for digging

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