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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. spring — of water
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — to keep track
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mug — a face
  19. track — a path
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — the season
  23. band — a music group
  24. track — a song

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