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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — of a river
  9. vault — a safe
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — in football
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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