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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · saw · leaves · land · bank · present · rash · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. present — the time now
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. land — ground
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. content — happy
  20. land — to come down
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rash — a series
  24. land — a country

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