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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spring — of water
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. rash — a series
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bank — for money
  23. spring — the season
  24. mine — for digging

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