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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. branch — a division
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bound — tied together
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bound — certain
  12. present — there
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — a container
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. row — a line
  20. tube — the underground
  21. present — a gift
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. row — to paddle

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