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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · leaves · game · fine · spring · vault · cabinet · bore

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spring — a coil
  3. march — the month
  4. spring — of water
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. vault — a safe
  7. march — the month
  8. game — a match
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spring — the season
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — to tire
  16. march — music
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fine — all right
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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