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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bank — of a river
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — a series
  7. craft — a skill
  8. row — to paddle
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wind — moving air
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rash — hasty
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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