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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: vault · land · fall · bank · deal · club · wax · cell

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. deal — to handle
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bank — for money
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bank — for money
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fall — the season
  14. club — a group
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. land — a country
  20. fall — to drop
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. club — for golf
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — a big deal

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