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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bank — for money
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — to drill
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. last — finally
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. last — to go on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bank — for money
  17. last — final
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bore — to tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — a safe
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bass — the instrument

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