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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: swing · band · vault · bank · staff · toast · stand · hand

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stand — to bear
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. staff — a stick
  9. toast — bread
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hand — help
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. swing — music
  16. band — a ring
  17. staff — employees
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. swing — in golf
  21. band — a music group
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hand — part of the body

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