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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: vault · prune · chest · bank · race · toast

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. 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. race — the arms race
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — to trim
  7. vault — a safe
  8. toast — bread
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bank — for money
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — of your body
  18. 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