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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 120 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 · bay · wound · bank · chair · calf · vault · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bank — for money
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bank — for money
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wound — an injury
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bank — of a river
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chair — a leader
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — a safe

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