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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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468
Word bank
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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 water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — low music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — a safe

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