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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. land — a country
  3. race — a contest
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mug — a cup
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mug — a face
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. land — ground
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bank — for money
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. deal — to handle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — to come down
  24. nail — for a hammer

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