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

Word bank: snap · wound · bowl · bank · pitcher · bay · hide · race

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. race — a contest
  3. bank — for money
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — for money
  8. snap — to click
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wound — an injury
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bowl — a football final

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