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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: wind · key · swing · tube · bass · bank · band · vault

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — in music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wind — moving air
  5. swing — to play on
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bank — for money
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. band — a music group
  13. bass — the fish
  14. swing — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — low music
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — the most important part
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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