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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. march — the month
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mark — a grade
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. snap — to click
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — to wash
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. shower — rain
  23. march — music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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