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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: stick · pound · bank · vault · saw · cold · scale · trunk

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — not warm
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pound — a weight
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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