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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 116 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: vault · mouse · bank · swing · tear · degree

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bank — for money
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. swing — in golf
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. tear — from crying
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. vault — a safe

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