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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 116 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: hide · bore · can · bank · vault · straw · stand · pound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bore — to tire
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stand — to bear
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. can — a tin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bore — gave birth
  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