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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. file — a document
  12. swing — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. file — a tool
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bank — for money
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bass — the fish
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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