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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — to breed
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. file — a tool
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chest — a box
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — music
  14. file — a document
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bank — for money
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chest — of your body
  23. file — a line of people
  24. vault — a safe

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