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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. season — in sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — of a river
  7. net — after costs
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bank — for money
  12. file — a document
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a ring
  15. season — of the year
  16. file — a tool
  17. net — for catching
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. file — a line of people
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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