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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. spell — magic
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. game — wild animals
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spell — letters
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — to breed
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. game — a match

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