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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ball — a dance
  8. tube — a container
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. last — to go on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. last — finally
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bat — the animal
  24. branch — a division

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