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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. rest — a break
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bank — of a river
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. vault — a safe
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. capital — a city
  19. rest — what's left
  20. capital — money
  21. bank — for money
  22. board — a committee
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. row — a line

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