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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · present · vault · straw · bank · hide

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. present — there
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. present — a gift
  5. bank — for money
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — a safe
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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