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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fine — all right
  3. pop — soda
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fall — the season
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. craft — boats
  8. bass — low music
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pop — music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — a safe
  16. craft — a skill
  17. branch — a division
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. branch — of a tree

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