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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 116 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
468
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: spring · bank · vault · bowl · ball · stem · band · wound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — the season
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. band — a music group
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spring — of water
  20. bank — for money
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stem — to come from
  24. band — a ring

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