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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rash · bank · wound · prune · vault · game · lie · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. key — for a lock
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a match
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bank — for money
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lie — to recline
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bank — of a river
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rash — a series
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. game — wild animals

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