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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · patient · plane · bank · vault · dip · key · wind

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. key — in music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to sink
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tear — to rip
  23. vault — a safe
  24. key — for a lock

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