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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. track — a path
  13. file — a tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. kick — in football
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a line of people
  20. track — a song
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. file — a document
  23. pitch — completely
  24. kick — with a leg

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