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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — of a river
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — the underground
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. race — the arms race
  11. cue — a signal
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — a container
  15. cue — a hint
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cue — for pool
  20. race — humankind
  21. dip — to sink
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — in a tire

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