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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hand — help
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. bank — of a river
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bank — for money
  14. band — a music group
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. band — a ring
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — part of the head

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