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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — child
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — music
  15. land — a country
  16. fall — to drop
  17. land — ground
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. land — to come down
  22. vault — a safe
  23. plane — a tool
  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