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

Word bank: march · vault · clip · can · wind · ruler · saw · bank

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. clip — a video
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. can — a tin
  5. bank — for money
  6. wind — moving air
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. saw — the tool
  15. march — the month
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. march — the month
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — to cut
  23. march — music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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