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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — music
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — for digging
  12. content — the amount
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tear — from crying
  18. content — happy
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pop — soda
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. tear — from crying

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