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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pop — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. march — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pop — soda
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. lean — thin
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — help
  21. tear — from crying
  22. march — the month
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tear — to rip

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