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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hand — help
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bulb — for light

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