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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · wave · bound · bank · firm · wake · land · cap

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. land — to come down
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bank — for money
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. land — ground
  15. firm — steady
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bound — certain
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bound — tied together
  24. firm — a company

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