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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bank — for money
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. current — electric
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rash — a series
  18. plane — a tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. vault — a safe
  21. capital — a city
  22. current — of water
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — of a river

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