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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mark — a trace
  5. land — ground
  6. bank — for money
  7. ground — a position
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. land — to come down
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bank — of a river
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. land — a country
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cue — a signal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. season — of the year
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ground — crushed
  23. season — in sport
  24. ground — the earth

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