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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: wave · game · march · band · last · vault · craft · mark

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. march — music
  5. band — a ring
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — to go on
  9. march — the month
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. vault — a safe
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. game — a match
  14. march — the month
  15. band — a music group
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mark — a grade
  21. last — final
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. last — finally
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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