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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: roll · drill · straw · bank · mouse · snap · hide · vault

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. drill — army training
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. snap — to click

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