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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chair — a leader
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bank — for money

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