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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.

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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: leaves · shower · vault · rule · stand · saw · bank · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rule — government
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stand — to bear
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pit — a hole
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. shower — to wash
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pit — in a race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rule — a law
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. shower — rain
  22. vault — a safe
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — for spectators

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