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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 124 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bank — for money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bank — of a river
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. roll — a cake
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. rash — a series
  16. roll — a list
  17. spell — magic
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. spell — a short time
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. file — a tool
  23. spell — letters
  24. bear — the animal

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