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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. branch — a division
  11. season — of the year
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rock — music
  18. date — the fruit
  19. season — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — to add flavour

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