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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. roll — a list
  4. face — to confront
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a line of people
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. ground — crushed
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. sharp — clever
  12. file — a document
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. roll — a cake
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pop — soda
  18. ground — a position
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bank — of a river
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pop — music
  24. file — a 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