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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · cabinet · vault · march · craft · bear

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — the month
  4. craft — a skill
  5. file — a line of people
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. file — a document
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. craft — boats
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — music
  17. vault — a safe
  18. file — a tool

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