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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — a path
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. band — a music group
  6. bank — for money
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. band — a ring
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wake — a trail

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