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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. march — music
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. craft — a skill
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. land — ground
  15. mine — for digging
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mine — belonging to me

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