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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: capital · bore · bank · arm · vault · wind

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. vault — a safe
  5. capital — a city
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. capital — money
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bank — of a river

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