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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fall — the season
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. last — finally
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — final
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — to drop
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bank — for money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — to go on
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bear — the animal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — wild animals
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. game — a match
  23. roll — a list
  24. bank — of a river

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