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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bank — for money
  5. swing — music
  6. roll — a list
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bank — of a river
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hand — in cards
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hand — help
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mine — for digging
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bank — for money
  24. roll — a cake

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