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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — to bend
  4. deal — to handle
  5. sharp — clever
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. object — a thing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. shower — rain
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. object — an aim
  22. lean — thin
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. shower — to wash

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