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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: firm · bank · vault · jam · kid · shower · saw · club

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bank — of a river
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. club — a group
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. club — for dancing
  10. shower — rain
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. firm — steady
  13. saw — the tool
  14. vault — a safe
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. club — for golf
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. shower — to wash
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. bank — for money

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