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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 116 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. band — a ring
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a music group
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. sharp — clever
  19. degree — temperature
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stand — to bear
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stand — for spectators

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