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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kid — child
  9. current — of water
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — to go on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. kid — to tease
  17. last — finally
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. current — electric
  21. last — final
  22. current — happening now
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. tube — the underground

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