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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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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: ruler · fall · bank · pound · mug · land · sharp · mark

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. land — to come down
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bank — for money
  11. mug — a face
  12. land — ground
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — a country
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — for dogs

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