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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.

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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: calf · fall · vault · season · lie · track · bank · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. fall — the season
  3. track — a path
  4. fall — to drop
  5. march — the month
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bank — for money
  9. season — of the year
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. season — in sport
  19. track — a song
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. vault — a safe
  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