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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. drill — army training
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. spell — magic
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bank — for money
  9. present — the time now
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. can — to be able to
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — a gift
  16. bank — of a river
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — letters
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. can — a tin
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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