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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bank — of a river
  4. vault — a safe
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cue — a signal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bank — for money
  17. cue — for pool
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — a tool
  21. press — to push
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bark — to shout

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