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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 120 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: bass · vault · staff · stem · racket · wave · cell · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stem — to come from
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. sharp — exactly

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