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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. squash — the sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — rain
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — to wash
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — before a funeral

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