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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. clip — to cut
  5. current — electric
  6. bank — for money
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — steady
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fall — to drop
  11. clip — for paper
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. clip — a video
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. fall — to drop
  17. game — wild animals
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fall — the season
  22. current — of water
  23. game — a match
  24. firm — a company

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