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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · land · bank · ball · wake · rest · bound · vault

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bank — of a river
  4. land — to come down
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ball — a dance
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — for money
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — certain
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — a trail
  19. land — ground
  20. bound — obliged
  21. march — the month
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. march — music

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