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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. club — for golf
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. capital — money
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. capital — a city
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bank — for money
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. coach — a trainer

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