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

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — of a river
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fork — in a road
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tear — from crying

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