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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. clip — a video
  17. pass — a permit
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. clip — for paper
  23. branch — a division
  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