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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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. branch — of a tree
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. present — there
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cold — an illness
  13. spell — letters
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. present — a gift
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — a horse colour

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