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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: vault · foot · bass · plane · march · board · clip · rash

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. clip — to cut
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — the month
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. foot — a measure
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bass — low music
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the fish
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. clip — for paper
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. clip — a video
  24. plane — an aircraft

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