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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. clip — for paper
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bass — low music
  11. clip — a video
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — thin
  14. key — for a lock
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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