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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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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: wake · nail · vault · degree · plane · bound · sharp · bass

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bass — the fish
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — an amount
  10. plane — a tool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bass — low music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bound — obliged
  16. sharp — clever
  17. degree — from a university
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bound — tied together
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bound — certain
  23. plane — in geometry
  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