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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bank — for money
  4. march — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. lean — thin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bank — of a river
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. march — the month

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