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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bank — for money
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — a cup
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. race — humankind
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. vault — a safe
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a face
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. race — a contest
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bank — of a river

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