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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: firm · arm · present · vault · rash · bass · mug · fall

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bass — low music
  5. firm — a company
  6. present — there
  7. firm — decided
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rash — hasty
  12. present — the time now
  13. firm — steady
  14. rash — a series
  15. bass — the fish
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. present — a gift
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. fall — the season
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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