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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spell — letters
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. object — an aim
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rest — a break
  12. spell — magic
  13. bat — the animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. object — a thing
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spell — a short time
  18. object — to protest
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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