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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rash — a series
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bank — for money
  8. capital — a city
  9. game — a match
  10. lean — thin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. capital — money
  13. lean — to bend
  14. vault — a safe
  15. swing — music
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. game — wild animals
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. swing — to play on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. swing — in golf

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