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

Word bank: march · lie · plane · fall · vault · field · bank · rest

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. march — the month
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fall — the season
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. march — music
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — the month
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bank — for money
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — a subject
  24. bank — for money

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