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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. vault — a safe
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fork — in a road
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. fall — to drop
  20. row — a line
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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