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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: bore · wake · vault · bank · squash · fine · drill · wound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fine — high quality
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — for money
  20. squash — the sport
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bore — to drill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fine — all right

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