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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bank — for money
  4. last — to go on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — for money
  10. last — final
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — of a river
  18. key — in music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. key — for a lock
  21. last — finally
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bulb — of a plant

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