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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. net — for catching
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. clip — a video
  5. charge — in control
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. object — a thing
  9. clip — for paper
  10. net — after costs
  11. shower — to wash
  12. charge — a price
  13. net — in sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — tied together
  16. charge — electricity
  17. clip — to cut
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — to protest

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