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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — in football
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bank — for money

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