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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. game — a match
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. branch — a division
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — clever
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. swing — in golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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