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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.

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: perch · hide · vault · sharp · face · current · bass · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — the fish
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. perch — the fish
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — to confront
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. sharp — clever
  11. game — wild animals
  12. current — happening now
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. current — of water
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bass — low music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. face — to point toward
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — electric
  24. face — part of the head

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