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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: mine · key · arm · bay · wound · trunk · vault · march

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. key — for a lock
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. key — in music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mine — for digging
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — the most important part
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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