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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bat — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. cold — an illness
  12. last — finally
  13. vault — a safe
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. last — to go on
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. can — to be able to
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — out of danger

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