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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: staff · hand · pass · craft · pound · straw · bank · vault

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — boats
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — of a river
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pound — a weight
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pound — for dogs

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