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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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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: rock · root · stock · lash · wind · vault · object · bass

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. object — to protest
  4. vault — a safe
  5. root — of a plant
  6. rock — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stock — shares
  9. root — of a word
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. object — a thing
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bass — the fish
  22. object — an aim
  23. wind — moving air
  24. root — the cause

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