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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. band — a music group
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. band — a ring
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. object — a thing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. object — to protest
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bank — of a river
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. object — an aim
  24. bear — the animal

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