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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 · cell · season · rush · firm · bowl · date · bank

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. season — of the year
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. firm — steady
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cell — in biology
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — a company
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bank — of a river
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. firm — decided
  21. season — in sport
  22. cell — a phone
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bowl — a dish

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