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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 116 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — to keep track
  6. face — part of the head
  7. can — to be able to
  8. land — a country
  9. face — to point toward
  10. staff — employees
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bank — for money
  13. can — a tin
  14. land — to come down
  15. track — a path
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. face — to confront
  18. track — a song
  19. bank — of a river
  20. staff — a stick
  21. can — a tin
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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