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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · vault · lie · board · march · key · mark · wound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rash — hasty
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rash — a series
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. march — the month
  16. key — the most important part
  17. board — a committee
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — in music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lie — an untruth

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