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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fine — all right
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spell — letters
  17. bank — for money
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — high quality

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