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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bound — tied together
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — for money
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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