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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — in football
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. vault — a safe
  8. tube — a container
  9. bank — for money
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bank — of a river
  12. drill — the tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rule — government
  17. drill — a practice
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — a grade
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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