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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · cell · capital · saw · bay · bank · object · dip

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cell — a phone
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. roll — a cake
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — a thing
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cell — in biology
  18. dip — to sink
  19. object — to protest
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bank — for money
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. cell — in a prison

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