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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: bank · mine · mate · swing · vault · temple · march · capital

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bank — for money
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a partner
  6. vault — a safe
  7. capital — money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mate — a friend
  10. march — music
  11. swing — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. swing — in golf
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. capital — a city
  19. swing — to play on
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mate — to breed
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mine — an explosive

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