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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: wound · fall · bark · bass · wind · charge · staff · vault

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — low music
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bark — to shout
  19. staff — employees
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. charge — a price
  24. bark — of a tree

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