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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 · calf · hide · cap · vault · bank · bass · rest

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bass — low music
  4. rest — a break
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bank — for money
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — a hat
  12. march — the month
  13. cap — a lid
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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