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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pop — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. last — to go on
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chip — for betting
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bank — for money
  12. pop — soda
  13. last — final
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — a safe
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. game — a match

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