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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — in music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. kick — in football
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. key — for a lock
  10. row — to paddle
  11. wind — moving air
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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