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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — of ice
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — letters
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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