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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 · kid · bass · foot · fall · fine · squash · roll

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fall — to drop
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — the season
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. foot — a measure
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — low music
  15. roll — a cake
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fall — to drop
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — high quality
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. vault — a safe
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fine — all right
  24. roll — a list

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