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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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. bank — of a river
  3. bore — to tire
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. bank — for money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — tied together
  19. branch — a division
  20. bound — certain
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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