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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. vault — a safe
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bank — for money
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. can — a tin
  20. content — happy
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — to handle
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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