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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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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: bay · cell · vault · bass · bat · key · lean · pass

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bass — low music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cell — in biology
  21. key — in music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lean — thin
  24. vault — a safe

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