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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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