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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pop — soda
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. clip — a video
  10. pop — music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tube — a container
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. clip — for paper

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