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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. row — a line
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. branch — a division
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fall — the season
  23. content — happy
  24. bear — the animal

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