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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 124 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — to cut
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. key — for a lock
  20. clip — for paper
  21. key — in music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. foot — a measure

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