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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: chest · cell · vault · bass · foot · stick

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chest — a box
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. chest — of your body
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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