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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. fall — the season
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — clever
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stock — goods
  15. clip — a video
  16. stock — shares
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bank — for money
  21. vault — a safe
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fall — to drop
  24. sharp — with an edge

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