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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bass — the fish
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pass — a permit
  7. branch — a division
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — high quality
  17. file — a line of people
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. file — a tool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fine — all right
  24. date — the fruit

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