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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: suit · vault · bank · wind · club · mug · kid · firm

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mug — a face
  4. firm — steady
  5. bank — for money
  6. kid — child
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kid — to tease
  10. club — a group
  11. firm — decided
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. suit — to fit
  15. club — for golf
  16. firm — a company
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. mug — a cup
  23. club — for dancing
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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