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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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. last — finally
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a ring
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. snap — to click
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. last — final
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rash — a series
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rash — hasty
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. band — a music group
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. last — to go on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. band — a rubber band

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