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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · wind · calf · bass · vault · fall

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — a safe
  10. bass — low music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal

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