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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: bass · fan · bank · bound · vault · fall · mate · file

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — a partner
  12. file — a document
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — the season
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bass — low music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bass — the fish
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. file — a line of people

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