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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: saw · vault · ball · bank · straw · last · roll · row

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. row — a line
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bank — of a river
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ball — a dance
  13. row — to paddle
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. roll — a list
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. last — to go on
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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