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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 120 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. tube — the underground
  3. row — to paddle
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. field — a subject
  6. rash — a series
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pop — soda
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tube — a container
  12. pop — to visit
  13. field — for sport
  14. row — a line
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — farmland
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spell — magic
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spell — letters
  24. pop — music

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