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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: shower · march · rule · vault · tear · safe · bank · lean

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rule — a law
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bank — for money
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — thin
  14. rule — government
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bank — of a river
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bank — for money
  20. shower — rain
  21. march — the month
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — a strongbox

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