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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: key · object · bank · last · vault · bay · march · shower

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. object — to protest
  14. last — finally
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — to wash
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. key — for a lock
  21. shower — rain
  22. march — the month
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. march — music

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