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

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. drill — army training
  6. bank — for money
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — the month
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. march — the month
  15. drill — a practice
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bank — of a river
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. vault — a safe
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. chest — a box
  23. bank — for money
  24. racket — a loud noise

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