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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: suit · vault · chair · clip · mouse · wound · rush · bank

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — hurry
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. clip — to cut
  14. vault — a safe
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chair — a leader
  17. suit — to fit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — for money
  20. suit — clothes
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. chair — a professorship

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