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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 116 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: lash · vault · drill · bank · file · stick · bear · mine

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a document
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bank — for money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. drill — army training
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bank — for money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. drill — a practice
  16. file — a tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. vault — a safe
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. drill — the tool

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