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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 120 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 · vault · bark · dip · rule · fan · bank · bat

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rule — government
  3. bank — for money
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rash — a series
  6. rule — a law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bat — the animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fan — to cool the air

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