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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — the sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lean — thin
  18. key — the most important part
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. dip — to sink
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. key — in music
  23. bowl — a football final
  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