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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: file · last · present · lie · bank · march · vault · game

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lie — to recline
  3. game — a match
  4. march — the month
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — the time now
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — for money
  13. last — final
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. last — finally
  16. file — a line of people
  17. present — there
  18. march — music
  19. file — a tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — a gift
  22. file — a document
  23. bank — of a river
  24. last — to go on

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