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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mate — a partner
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bank — for money
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. branch — a division
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fan — to cool the air

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