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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: deal · track · bay · wave · cold · land · coach · bank

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cold — an illness
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bank — of a river
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. deal — to handle
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. land — a country
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. track — a song
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — 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