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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. kick — in football
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. key — in music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bank — for money
  7. key — for a lock
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — a list
  14. bat — the animal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. key — the most important part
  18. current — electric
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bat — in an idiom

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