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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bank — for money
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bank — of a river
  10. capital — money
  11. wind — moving air
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — a city
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bark — to shout
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cap — a lid
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cap — of ice
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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