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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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. fall — to drop
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — letters
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fall — the season
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. ball — a round shape

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