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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: lean · field · kid · bank · pit · vault · plane · squash

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pit — a hole
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lean — thin
  6. field — for sport
  7. kid — child
  8. field — farmland
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. field — a subject
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pit — in a race
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lean — to bend
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bank — of a river
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bank — for money

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