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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · squash · bass · vault · wake · fine · mate · branch

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bass — low music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. branch — a division
  11. fine — all right
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — a trail
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  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