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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 ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bank — for money
  11. shower — rain
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pound — a weight
  15. row — a line
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pitcher — a jug

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