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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. vault — a safe
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bank — for money
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pit — in a race
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — clever

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