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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: straw · vault · stem · last · bound · bank · perch · march

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bank — of a river
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bound — obliged
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — tied together
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — certain
  10. march — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — finally
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. last — to go on
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. march — the month
  24. last — final

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