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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. ball — a great time
  14. content — happy
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cap — a hat
  22. content — the amount
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. wound — an injury

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