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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: capital · fan · bank · nail · vault · bore · arm · ground

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. capital — money
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. capital — a city
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — to drill
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. capital — a big letter

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