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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 116 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. capital — money
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. capital — a city
  17. kid — to tease
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — child
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  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