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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — in football
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tear — to rip
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. court — of law
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. court — for sport
  15. rush — hurry
  16. row — a line
  17. shower — rain
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. tear — from crying
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bank — of a river
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — a horse colour

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