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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — final
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rash — a series
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. last — finally
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — to go on
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mouse — for a computer

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