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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. row — a line
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fine — all right
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — a coil
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bank — of a river
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — the season
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — a tin
  24. spring — of water

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