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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · face · bass · fine · prune · bore · foot · vault

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bat — the animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bass — low music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bore — to drill
  18. face — to confront
  19. bore — to tire
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. foot — a measure
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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