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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: mug · stick · vault · straw · bass · band · wax · ball

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. band — a music group
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — low music
  5. mug — a face
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. band — a ring
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — the instrument

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