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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hand — help
  23. mark — a grade
  24. hand — part of the 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