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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. deal — to handle
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — to grow
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil

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