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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. shower — to wash
  7. land — to come down
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. land — a country
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hand — help
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pop — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — rain
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — soda
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. hand — in cards
  24. land — ground

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