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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: stick · safe · wound · mine · firm · vault · degree · bass

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — steady
  3. degree — from a university
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — low music
  6. degree — temperature
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bass — the fish
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. degree — an amount
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. safe — a strongbox

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