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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. suit — clothes
  3. tear — from crying
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. last — finally
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bass — low music
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — a safe
  10. suit — in cards
  11. firm — steady
  12. last — final
  13. tear — from crying
  14. last — to go on
  15. tear — to rip
  16. march — the month
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. firm — a company
  23. march — the month
  24. march — 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