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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: hide · last · deal · vault · bank · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. drill — the tool
  4. last — final
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — a safe
  10. last — to go on
  11. bank — for money
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — finally

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