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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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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: season · bank · arm · spring · wave · vault · march · stick

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — in sport
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bank — for money
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bank — of a river
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. spring — of water
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wave — with your hand

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