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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — happy
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a partner
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rest — a break
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. root — the cause
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — the amount
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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