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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bank — of a river
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bound — certain
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mark — a grade
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bass — the fish
  17. land — ground
  18. bass — low music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — to come down
  23. branch — a division
  24. straw — dry grass

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