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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. last — final
  6. bank — for money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — low music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. last — finally
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. branch — a division
  23. wake — a trail
  24. last — to go on

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