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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bank — of a river
  4. root — of a word
  5. wake — a trail
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. snap — to click
  14. vault — a safe
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. march — music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — the month
  24. ground — the earth

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