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

Word bank: land · rule · bank · tear · straw · hide · dip · stand

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. land — to come down
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rule — government
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bank — of a river
  16. land — a country
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bank — for money
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bank — for money
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — a law

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