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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bass — the fish
  7. march — the month
  8. bass — low music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bat — the animal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. march — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — for money
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. march — the month
  17. branch — a division
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bank — of a river

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