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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: tear · coach · land · vault · racket · bank · mine · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. land — a country
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — for digging
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tear — from crying
  10. land — to come down
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. land — ground
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. sharp — clever
  20. vault — a safe
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. coach — a trainer

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