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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. swing — music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. last — to go on
  14. kick — in football
  15. face — part of the head
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. last — finally
  19. swing — in golf
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. face — to confront
  22. last — final
  23. band — a music group
  24. bank — for money

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