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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. scale — size or range
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pass — a permit
  20. row — to paddle
  21. scale — in music
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kid — child
  24. row — a line

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