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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. perch — the fish
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — for light
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hand — in cards
  16. band — a ring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — to drop
  19. band — a music group
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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