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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bound — certain
  3. present — a gift
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — the time now
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spring — a coil
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bound — obliged
  13. present — there
  14. spring — the season
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. spring — of water
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stem — of a plant

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