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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: bass · straw · vault · kick · wave · roll · bear · plane

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. plane — a tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bass — the fish
  7. roll — a cake
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. roll — a list
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. vault — a safe
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — low music
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kick — in football
  24. plane — an aircraft

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