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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: bank · bay · bark · bore · race · rock · spring · wave

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — music
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spring — the season
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. race — a contest
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. race — humankind
  19. bore — to tire
  20. spring — of water
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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