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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. present — a gift
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. file — a document
  18. bank — for money
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. file — a tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. vault — a safe

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