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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — for paper
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wound — an injury
  18. charge — in control
  19. vault — a safe
  20. file — a line of people
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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