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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. capital — money
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spell — magic
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cap — of ice
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spell — a short time
  11. capital — a city
  12. can — a tin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — a hat
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hand — help

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