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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. root — of a word
  8. cap — a hat
  9. snap — to click
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. root — the cause
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bulb — for light
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cap — a lid
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bulb — for light

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