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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. suit — in cards
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spring — the season
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bulb — for light
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. spring — of water
  21. dip — to sink
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to dunk

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