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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bulb — for light
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. firm — steady
  13. row — a line
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rock — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — a company
  21. row — to paddle
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — to move gently

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