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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. field — a subject
  6. row — a line
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mine — for digging
  11. field — farmland
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. field — for sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bank — for money

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