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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bank — for money
  6. mark — a trace
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chair — a leader
  16. land — to come down
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — ground
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bank — of a river

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