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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 116 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: vault · fall · bass · firm · cap · mate · rush · bulb

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cap — a lid
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. firm — steady
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cap — a hat
  19. vault — a safe
  20. firm — decided
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — low music

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