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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chest — a box
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. key — for a lock
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bank — for money
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chest — of your body

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