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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — to tease
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — for money
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. last — final
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kid — child
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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