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

Word bank: vault · rock · bass · snap · date · wound · temple · lean

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wound — an injury
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wound — an injury
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lean — thin
  11. snap — to click
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. date — the fruit
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rock — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. temple — a place of worship

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