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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: fall · hand · content · bank · deal · land · saw · ruler

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bank — for money
  3. land — ground
  4. hand — help
  5. content — happy
  6. bank — of a river
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. fall — to drop
  13. land — a country
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bank — for money
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. land — to come down
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fall — the season
  23. deal — to handle
  24. hand — in cards

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