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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: bank · mine · deal · bass · face · file · vault · squash

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. file — a tool
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. face — to confront
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. vault — a safe
  8. deal — to handle
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mine — for digging
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. file — a line of people
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. squash — to crush
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bank — for money
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. file — a document
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. bank — of a river

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