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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lean — to bend
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bank — for money
  8. vault — a safe
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bore — to drill
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lean — thin
  24. bore — to tire

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