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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 116 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
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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: clip · last · cell · vault · fine · scale · bass · lean

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. fine — high quality
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — a safe
  10. last — finally
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. clip — for paper
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bass — low music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. clip — to cut
  19. scale — in music
  20. fine — all right
  21. lean — to bend
  22. clip — a video
  23. scale — size or range
  24. last — final

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