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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mark — a trace
  6. track — to keep track
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. track — a song
  11. kick — in football
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. track — a path
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fall — to drop
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — the season
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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