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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. can — a tin
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. clip — a video
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fall — the season
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. bank — of a river
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fall — to drop
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fall — to drop
  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