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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: lie · vault · bass · hand · swing · wound · current · fan

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — in cards
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bass — the fish
  13. current — happening now
  14. swing — music
  15. current — electric
  16. hand — help
  17. swing — in golf
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — a safe
  21. current — of water
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bass — low music

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