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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. row — a line
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. row — to paddle
  10. staff — employees
  11. file — a line of people
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mark — a trace
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pass — a permit

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