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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. season — of the year
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mine — for digging
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bank — for money
  14. season — in sport
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rash — a series
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. snap — to click
  24. content — happy

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