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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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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: clip · sharp · bank · vault · stick · mark · shower · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mark — a trace
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — for paper
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bank — for money
  18. shower — rain
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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