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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — for sport
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fall — the season
  6. land — a country
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bank — for money
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. land — ground
  13. field — a subject
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. land — to come down
  17. lie — to recline
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. deal — to handle

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