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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. prune — to trim
  13. race — a contest
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bank — of a river
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. race — humankind
  24. bank — for money

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