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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. clip — for paper
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bank — of a river
  7. clip — a video
  8. rock — music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. clip — to cut
  14. band — a music group
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bank — for money
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wound — an injury
  23. band — a ring
  24. rock — a stone

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