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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. game — a match
  3. bank — for money
  4. land — a country
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — final
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — to recline
  16. root — the cause
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. last — to go on
  22. land — to come down
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. root — of a plant

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