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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. last — final
  3. kid — child
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — a group
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bank — for money
  11. club — for golf
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — low music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. can — a tin
  24. club — for dancing

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