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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 · stick · tear · rash · wave · object · vault · rush

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rash — a series
  8. object — a thing
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rush — hurry
  22. object — to protest
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rush — to hurry

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