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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: fan · chair · last · staff · bank · vault · bound · wound

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bound — obliged
  4. staff — employees
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bank — for money
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — to go on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — certain
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. last — final
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bank — for money
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wound — an injury

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