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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pop — soda
  5. stand — to bear
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wake — a trail
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rest — a break
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pop — music
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bank — for money

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