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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: tear · row · club · bound · bank · vault

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. vault — a safe
  5. tear — from crying
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — a group
  9. tear — from crying
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bound — certain
  12. row — to paddle
  13. club — for golf
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. row — a line
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bank — for money

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