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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fall — the season
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. object — an aim
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fall — to drop

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