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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 120 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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. band — a ring
  9. hand — help
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. key — in music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — a safe
  17. key — the most important part
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. key — for a lock
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — thin
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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