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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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. leaves — lets stay
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. snap — to click
  6. content — happy
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mine — for digging
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — the amount
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — a grade
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — 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