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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: leaves · kid · vault · stem · bank · ruler · board · march

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stem — to come from
  3. march — the month
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. board — to get on
  8. march — music
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. board — a committee
  18. bank — of a river
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. kid — child
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — to tease

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