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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bat — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hand — help
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bat — for baseball

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