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

Word bank: dip · mate · bank · tear · vault · chip · saw · ruler

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chip — for betting
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chip — to eat
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bank — of a river

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