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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bank — of a river
  4. club — for golf
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rule — a law
  12. season — in sport
  13. rule — government
  14. spring — of water
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. season — of the year
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bank — for money
  22. club — a group
  23. dip — to sink
  24. vault — a safe

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