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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bank — for money
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mate — to breed
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. vault — a safe
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. swing — to play on
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bank — of a river
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. swing — music

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