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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. season — of the year
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chest — of your body
  7. kid — child
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chest — a box
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. can — a tin
  19. stand — to bear
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — in sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bank — of a river

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