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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: spell · kick · stand · vault · kid · bank

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spell — magic
  5. vault — a safe
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spell — letters
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. kick — in football
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — on your feet

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