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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bark — to shout
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — to recline
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hide — animal skin

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