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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: bank · perch · craft · band · chair · vault · rash · roll

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. rash — a series
  3. roll — a list
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — for money
  6. chair — a leader
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. vault — a safe
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bank — of a river
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — boats
  17. band — a music group
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. chair — a professorship

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