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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — hurry
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. band — a music group
  7. land — ground
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. land — a country
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bound — certain
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. plane — a tool
  19. kick — in football
  20. land — to come down
  21. vault — a safe
  22. band — a ring
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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