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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. degree — from a university
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. date — the fruit
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. shower — to wash
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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