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

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pass — a permit
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bank — for money
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hand — in cards
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — a division
  20. hand — help
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. file — a document
  24. branch — of a bank

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