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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: bass · scale · bore · fall · vault · file · fine · spell

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bass — the fish
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — letters
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fall — the season
  17. fine — all right
  18. spell — magic
  19. file — a document
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bass — low music
  24. fine — high quality

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