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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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