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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a line
  3. track — a song
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. track — to keep track
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. track — a path
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rush — hurry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bank — for money

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