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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mug — a face
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rock — music
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of a king
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. branch — a division
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bank — for money
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bank — for money
  24. branch — of a tree

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