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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bore — to tire
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — for money
  5. cold — not warm
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. can — to be able to
  9. object — to protest
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. object — a thing
  14. cold — an illness
  15. track — a path
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. object — an aim
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bore — to drill
  22. vault — a safe
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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