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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — to play on
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. race — a contest
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — to trim
  14. race — the arms race
  15. swing — in golf
  16. race — humankind
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fine — all right
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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