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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — magic
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bank — for money
  5. toast — bread
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — letters
  12. spring — the season
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bank — of a river
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. ground — the earth
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. spring — of water

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