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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bank — for money
  4. ground — crushed
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — help
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bank — for money
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ground — a position

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