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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rush — hurry
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. key — the most important part
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bank — for money
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. key — in music
  23. tube — a container
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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