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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: rush · vault · wind · bank · pound · bowl · pass · game

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. game — wild animals
  3. pass — a permit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. game — a match
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bank — for money
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rush — hurry
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pound — a weight

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