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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.

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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. file — a document
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — the fish
  5. current — of water
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. kid — to tease
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kid — child
  12. mate — to breed
  13. deal — to handle
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bass — low music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. file — a line of people
  22. current — happening now
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. file — a tool

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