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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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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bulb — for light
  5. vault — a safe
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. clip — a video
  10. present — there
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. clip — to cut
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — a gift
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — the time now
  20. date — the fruit
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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