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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. bank — of a river
  5. lean — to bend
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lean — thin
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bank — for money
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitcher — a jug

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