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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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Word bank
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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: leaves · vault · bank · land · craft · capital · swing · shower

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. shower — rain
  5. capital — money
  6. swing — to play on
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. craft — boats
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. land — a country
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — a city
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. shower — to wash
  21. land — ground
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. land — to come down
  24. swing — music

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