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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: last · current · vault · fan · clip · dip · bass · bulb

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. clip — a video
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — finally
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. current — electric
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bass — low music
  14. current — of water
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. last — to go on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. last — final
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to sink

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