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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bound — tied together
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bank — of a river
  6. degree — from a university
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a document
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. squash — the sport
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bound — certain
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. degree — temperature

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