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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mine — for digging
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — of the leg

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