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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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fine — all right
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. file — a document
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hide — to keep secret

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