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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. land — a country
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rash — a series
  19. bank — for money
  20. land — ground
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — for money
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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