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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — for money
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. face — to confront
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — a coil
  15. face — to point toward
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. spell — letters
  19. bat — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — of water
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — magic
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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