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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: saw · file · foot · mark · vault · race · wound · bass

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. file — a line of people
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bass — low music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. race — a contest
  10. wound — an injury
  11. race — the arms race
  12. file — a tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mark — a grade
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bass — the fish
  17. file — a document
  18. race — humankind
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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