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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ball · stick · spell · craft · branch · lean · vault · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. craft — boats
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lean — thin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to bend
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. spell — magic
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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