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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fine — high quality
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. snap — to click
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. row — a line
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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