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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. kid — child
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. vault — a safe
  11. can — a tin
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. last — finally
  18. kid — to tease
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — for money
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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