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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hand — help
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — a division
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  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