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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a ring
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bank — of a river
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — a safe
  24. trunk — of a car

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