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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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Word bank
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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. fork — in a road
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. charge — a price
  9. race — humankind
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. content — happy
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. charge — in control
  21. content — the amount
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. nail — for a hammer

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