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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. capital — money
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spell — magic
  16. capital — a city
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spell — letters
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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