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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. key — for a lock
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — to breed
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tube — a container
  9. suit — in cards
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. key — in music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chair — a leader
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mate — a partner
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hand — help

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