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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — child
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. chair — a leader
  6. land — to come down
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — a country
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. kid — to tease
  14. land — ground
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bank — of a river
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. vault — a safe
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wake — before a funeral

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