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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 120 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: bank · drill · wound · bowl · bay · vault · safe · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. drill — a practice
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. club — a group
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. club — for golf
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. drill — army training
  24. wound — an injury

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