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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. net — for catching
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. net — in sport
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fall — the season
  16. branch — a division
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. kick — in football
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. branch — of a bank

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