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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. bank — for money
  2. spring — a coil
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spring — the season
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. spring — of water
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. file — a line of people
  16. vault — a safe
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rule — a law
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bank — for money
  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