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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. court — of law
  4. vault — a safe
  5. file — a document
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bank — for money
  9. season — in sport
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bank — for money
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. court — of a king
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — a straw man

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