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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spring — of water
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. spring — the season
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. spring — a coil
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — a permit
  19. date — the fruit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a match

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