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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: march · vault · drill · track · tear · arm · cabinet · stick

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. vault — a safe
  2. track — a path
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — to keep track
  9. march — the month
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tear — to rip
  13. track — a song
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. drill — army training
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — the month
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. drill — the tool
  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