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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: vault · bank · mug · wind · prune · chip · kick · tear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. kick — in football
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mug — a face
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — a safe
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mug — a cup
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bank — of a river

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