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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: file · vault · club · season · snap · bass · row · stick

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. club — for dancing
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — a group
  9. vault — a safe
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. row — a line
  12. season — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — low music
  15. file — a document
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. snap — to click
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — for golf

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