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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — rain
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. march — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. shower — to wash

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