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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: vault · snap · bass · lean · sharp · pass · stand · shower

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. snap — to click
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lean — thin
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. vault — a safe
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lean — to bend
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. lean — to rest against

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