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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 · wake · bound · ruler · bank · vault

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bank — for money
  4. capital — money
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wake — a trail
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. capital — a city
  12. bank — of a river
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — obliged
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bound — certain
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. capital — a big letter

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