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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — for money
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bowl — to roll
  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