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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: root · mate · land · nail · tear · bank · mine · rush

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tear — from crying
  3. root — of a word
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — hurry
  7. land — a country
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tear — to rip
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bank — for money
  22. root — the cause
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mate — a friend

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