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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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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: mouse · spell · firm · current · swing · cell · stick · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cell — a phone
  3. spell — magic
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — decided
  6. current — happening now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. swing — music
  15. current — of water
  16. firm — a company
  17. spell — letters
  18. swing — in golf
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. current — electric
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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