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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. suit — to fit
  6. band — a music group
  7. kid — child
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — a safe
  12. staff — employees
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — to tease
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — clothes
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. sharp — clever
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bank — of a river

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