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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mug — a face
  13. vault — a safe
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. row — a line
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — a quarrel

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