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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 116 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: cabinet · bank · bear · land · leaves · tear · racket · ground

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ground — the earth
  5. land — ground
  6. ground — crushed
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bank — of a river
  14. tear — from crying
  15. land — a country
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tear — from crying
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ground — a position
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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