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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — ground
  4. shower — rain
  5. land — to come down
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stock — goods
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stock — shares
  11. land — a country
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — to wash
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — size or range
  20. row — a line
  21. scale — in music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bank — of a river
  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