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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 120 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: spell · vault · tube · file · cell · current · lean · rock

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. current — happening now
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. cell — a phone
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lean — thin
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. current — electric
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lean — to bend
  13. file — a tool
  14. current — of water
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tube — a container
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spell — letters
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cell — in biology

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