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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. charge — a price
  7. cold — an illness
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — for a lock
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — a trace
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cold — not warm
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. row — a line
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bank — for money
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bank — for money

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