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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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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: toast · vault · wound · roll · prune · clip · bank · object

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — bread
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. clip — for paper
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. object — an aim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. clip — a video
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bank — of a river
  20. object — a thing
  21. vault — a safe
  22. object — to protest
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. roll — a cake

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