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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: current · cell · march · bay · mine · vault · firm · calf

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. firm — steady
  5. cell — a phone
  6. march — music
  7. current — of water
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. current — happening now
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. vault — a safe
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. mine — for digging
  18. current — electric
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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