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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cell — in biology
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bank — for money
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kick — in football
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bank — of a river
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fan — to cool the 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