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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: tube · vault · swing · stick · bank · chip · bound · spell

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bound — certain
  4. bank — for money
  5. bound — tied together
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. swing — in golf
  9. spell — magic
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bank — of a river
  18. swing — music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — a safe
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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