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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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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: rest · coach · bass · press · craft · vault · wind · cabinet

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rest — a break
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — a skill
  6. press — to push
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wind — moving air
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — a publisher
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. craft — boats
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — to turn a key

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