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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: bass · wave · lean · spell · vault · sharp · last · arm

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bass — the fish
  4. vault — a safe
  5. spell — magic
  6. last — to go on
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lean — to bend
  10. last — final
  11. spell — letters
  12. bass — low music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. sharp — clever
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. last — finally
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spell — a short time

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