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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: rest · last · stand · bank · vault · straw

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — final
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — a safe
  14. last — finally
  15. bank — of a river
  16. last — to go on
  17. rest — a break
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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