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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: ruler · rush · vault · spring · bark · bank · hand · jam

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spring — the season
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — help
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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