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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. track — a path
  2. dip — to sink
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bank — of a river
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. track — a song
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bank — for money
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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