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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. key — in music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — to protest
  10. board — to get on
  11. key — the most important part
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. object — an aim
  15. spring — of water
  16. object — a thing
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fall — the season
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  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