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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — a gift
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — the season
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bank — of a river
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spring — of water
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. roll — a cake
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mate — a friend

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