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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: stick · tear · plane · stand · march · bay · fine · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. march — the month
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stand — to bear
  13. march — music
  14. fine — all right
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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