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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: bank · mine · pit · clip · spring · pound · vault · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bank — of a river
  7. spring — of water
  8. bank — for money
  9. spring — the season
  10. plane — a tool
  11. clip — to cut
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. clip — a video
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mine — for digging

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