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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. spell — letters
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spell — magic
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bank — for money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. spell — a short time
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pop — music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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