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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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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: vault · pop · bank · fork · saw · last · bear · staff

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. last — to go on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pop — music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. last — final
  9. fork — in a road
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — finally
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pop — soda
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bear — the animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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