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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: vault · swing · bank · staff · chip · foot · shower · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. swing — to play on
  3. shower — to wash
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. staff — a stick
  6. vault — a safe
  7. foot — a measure
  8. swing — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. chip — to eat
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — rain
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. swing — in golf
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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