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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — a position
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spell — letters
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lean — to bend
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. vault — a safe
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spell — a short time
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. spell — magic
  17. branch — a division
  18. snap — to click
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — thin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. saw — the tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ground — the earth

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