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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: arm · bank · march · bay · wake · racket · wind · cell

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wake — a trail
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. arm — part of the body

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