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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
468
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: vault · bass · rest · object · current · clip · leaves · bulb

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. object — a thing
  4. current — happening now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. clip — to cut
  7. object — to protest
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. clip — a video
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. object — an aim
  16. current — electric
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bulb — for light
  20. vault — a safe
  21. current — of water
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rest — a break

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