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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. object — to protest
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bank — for money
  7. object — an aim
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bank — of a river
  11. object — a thing
  12. staff — employees
  13. spell — magic
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — letters
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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