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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rash — a series
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a hat
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cap — of ice
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cap — a lid
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. perch — the fish

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