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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pound — a weight
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. snap — to click
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wind — moving air
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pound — for dogs

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