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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: bank · land · saw · object · mouse · mate · chest · foot

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. land — ground
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. object — an aim
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mate — a partner
  14. object — to protest
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mate — a friend
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — the bottom

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