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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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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: roll · bank · wind · board · clip · vault · ruler · mug

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. board — a committee
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bank — for money
  5. clip — for paper
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. clip — a video
  11. mug — a face
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mug — a cup
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bank — for money
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wind — moving air
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. board — to get on
  23. roll — a list
  24. clip — to cut

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