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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — music
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bank — for money
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — soda
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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