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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. board — a committee
  3. bank — of a river
  4. file — a document
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — a country
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. key — the most important part
  19. dip — to sink
  20. key — in music
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. board — to get on
  24. file — a line of people

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