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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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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: bank · toast · kick · staff · fan · clip · root · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. root — the cause
  5. staff — a stick
  6. clip — to cut
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. root — of a word
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bank — for money
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. vault — a safe
  18. clip — for paper
  19. toast — bread
  20. root — of a plant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kick — in football
  23. clip — a video
  24. staff — employees

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