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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: band · snap · vault · object · spell · branch · march · bay

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. snap — to click
  7. band — a ring
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. march — music
  14. object — an aim
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. object — to protest
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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