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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ball — a dance
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wind — moving air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — a series

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