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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: chest · vault · bowl · drill · bank · nail

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — army training
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. chest — a box
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. vault — a safe
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — for a hammer

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