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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. race — a contest
  6. capital — money
  7. bank — for money
  8. race — the arms race
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. race — humankind
  14. capital — a city
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fall — the season
  21. bank — of a river
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. season — to add flavour

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