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

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. last — final
  4. bank — of a river
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pass — a permit
  11. last — finally
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. last — to go on
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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