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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · chest · hand · bound · suit · vault · rest · face

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bass — low music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chest — of your body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bound — obliged
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. face — to confront
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rest — what's left
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rest — a break
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. vault — a safe
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. chest — a box

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