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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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Word bank
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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: bay · nail · bank · charge · mine · cold · lie · vault

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. charge — a price
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. charge — in control
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mine — for digging
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bank — for money
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. charge — electricity
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mine — an explosive

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