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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. file — a document
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. net — after costs
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. net — for catching
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a line of people
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — in music
  18. band — a music group
  19. vault — a safe
  20. file — a tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. scale — size or range

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