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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.

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: date · craft · bank · cold · mug · vault · fan · bound

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bound — tied together
  5. craft — boats
  6. bound — certain
  7. cold — not warm
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bank — for money
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — obliged
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cold — an illness
  24. craft — a handicraft

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