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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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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bank — for money
  7. spring — the season
  8. rock — music
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mug — to rob
  13. row — a line
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bank — for money
  18. spring — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spring — a coil
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — a stone

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