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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rule — government
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hand — help
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — for light
  14. vault — a safe
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. track — a path
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. track — a song

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