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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — to get on
  3. track — a path
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. roll — a cake
  14. track — a song
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bulb — for light
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. roll — a list
  22. spell — magic
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cold — not warm

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