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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kid — child
  12. can — a tin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. file — a line of people
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — to get on
  20. file — a tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a document

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