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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — a stick
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — in music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a song
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ball — a round shape

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