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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hand — help
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. foot — a measure
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. track — a path
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — in cards
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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