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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bank — for money
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rash — a series
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. march — the month
  14. scale — in music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mine — for digging
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — music
  24. mine — an explosive

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