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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cold — an illness
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bank — for money
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bound — tied together
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bound — certain
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cold — not warm
  24. stand — on your feet

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