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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: dip · present · bass · clip · vault · scale · craft · cell

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. present — the time now
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. clip — to cut
  7. present — there
  8. bass — low music
  9. craft — boats
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bass — the fish
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. clip — a video
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cell — in biology
  20. dip — to sink
  21. scale — in music
  22. present — a gift
  23. cell — a phone
  24. clip — for paper

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