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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: fall · vault · coach · wave · date · saw · root · bass

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bass — the fish
  4. root — the cause
  5. fall — the season
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fall — to drop
  8. vault — a safe
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bass — low music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. root — of a word
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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