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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: hand · spell · nail · bank · vault · rock · lie · squash

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bank — of a river
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — a stone
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. spell — letters
  14. rock — music
  15. spell — magic
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — the sport
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. vault — a safe

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