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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bank — for money
  5. suit — in cards
  6. land — to come down
  7. vault — a safe
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. file — a document
  12. bank — for money
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wound — an injury
  16. file — a tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — in biology
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. suit — clothes
  22. land — a country
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. land — ground

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