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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 · arm · current · spell · chest · fine · land · bass

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. chest — of your body
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chest — a box
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. current — electric
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. land — a country
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bass — low music
  18. current — happening now
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. current — of water
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chest — of your body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. land — to come down

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