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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — in golf
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — soda
  13. rule — government
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. rule — a law
  18. swing — music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pop — to visit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. dip — to dunk

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