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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rash — hasty
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mark — a grade
  5. present — there
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. vault — a safe
  12. present — a gift
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rash — a series
  15. clip — a video
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. present — the time now
  18. bank — for money
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. object — to protest
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — a straw man

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