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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. band — a music group
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. capital — money
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bulb — for light
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. toast — bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. band — a ring
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. capital — a city

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