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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pit — a hole
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spell — a short time
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rush — hurry
  24. row — a line

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