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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.

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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: bank · saw · drill · pitch · charge · vault · wave · temple

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. vault — a safe
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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