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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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Word bank
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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: spell · tear · pop · wound · vault · deal · fine · bass

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spell — letters
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — soda
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fine — high quality
  12. deal — to handle
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fine — all right
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. spell — magic
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — music
  20. tear — to rip
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. vault — a safe

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