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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — for digging
  6. tube — the underground
  7. craft — a skill
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — a container
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. craft — boats
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. prune — the fruit

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