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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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. bank — for money
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. chair — a leader
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wax — to grow
  13. game — a match
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pit — a hole
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — for money
  24. bay — a horse colour

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