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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — a safe
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tear — from crying
  11. shower — rain
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — for money
  22. shower — to wash
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wind — moving air

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