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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: bay · vault · bass · bulb · rest · net · wound · lean

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — thin
  14. net — for catching
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lean — to bend
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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