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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wind — moving air
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wax — to grow
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bank — for money
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. wind — moving air

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