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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hand — help
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a ring
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group

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