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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chair — a leader
  7. date — the fruit
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spell — letters
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — for money
  19. spell — magic
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — a break
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a professorship

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