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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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Word bank
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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: dip · season · mug · bank · foot · land · bay · hand

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. land — a country
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. land — ground
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bank — for money
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — a face
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mug — a cup
  22. season — of the year
  23. bank — of a river
  24. season — in sport

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