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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: squash · vault · fall · firm · fine · object · straw · bass

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — decided
  3. fine — high quality
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. firm — a company
  6. object — to protest
  7. fall — to drop
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. object — an aim
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bass — the fish
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — low music
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — all right
  19. object — a thing
  20. squash — to crush
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. vault — a safe
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fall — the season

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