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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bank — for money
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. race — a contest
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. race — humankind
  24. object — a thing

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