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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.

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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: chip · bank · board · prune · pitcher · lean · vault · lie

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lean — thin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. board — a committee
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chip — in a computer

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