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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — magic
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. court — for sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spell — letters
  12. court — of law
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. degree — from a university
  20. court — of a king
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bank — of a river
  23. vault — a safe
  24. lean — thin

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