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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: straw · vault · jam · rock · wave · pit · bass · tube

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tube — a container
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pit — in a race
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rock — 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