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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — for money
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. root — of a word
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — for money
  10. root — the cause
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. field — farmland
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — a subject
  17. root — of a plant
  18. field — for sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. can — to be able to
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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