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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 · bowl · mine · rest · nail · vault · rush · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bank — of a river
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bank — for money
  7. rest — a break
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. lean — thin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rest — what's left
  24. nail — for a hammer

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