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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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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: straw · vault · tear · stand · object · bank

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tear — to rip
  3. object — an aim
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tear — from crying
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. object — to protest
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bank — of a river
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. tear — from crying

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