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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 120 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: stem · lash · bank · present · chair · vault · mouse · rush

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. present — the time now
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. present — there
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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