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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.

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: bound · bore · last · vault · cell · bass · press · wake

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bound — tied together
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. press — to push
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cell — a phone
  8. last — finally
  9. cell — in biology
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — to go on
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bass — the fish
  17. press — a publisher
  18. last — final
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bound — obliged
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bound — certain
  24. press — newspapers

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