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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: bass · fine · patient · spring · last · dip · vault · wave

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. last — to go on
  7. fine — all right
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. last — final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — low music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. spring — of water
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bass — the fish
  24. spring — a coil

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