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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — for money
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fall — the season
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fork — in a road
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. tear — from crying
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bank — for money
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fall — to drop
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bank — of a river

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