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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — tied together
  4. capital — a city
  5. bank — of a river
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — certain
  13. present — the time now
  14. bound — obliged
  15. game — a match
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. present — a gift
  23. capital — money
  24. bank — for money

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