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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: file · hide · bank · mug · vault · prune · mine · kid

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a face
  13. kid — child
  14. mug — a cup
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bank — of a river
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. vault — a safe
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. file — a tool

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