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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: bank · vault · club · rest · stem · drill

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — the tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bank — of a river
  8. drill — army training
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. club — a group
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. drill — a practice

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