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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. lean — thin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. land — to come down
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. land — ground
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — a country
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. season — in sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. root — the cause
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — of a word
  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