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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. last — finally
  7. file — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. last — final
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. last — to go on
  16. rush — hurry
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. file — a document
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — for spectators

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