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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — to trim
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bound — obliged
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bound — tied together
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — certain
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. shower — rain
  24. wind — moving air

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