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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. present — the time now
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. present — there
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — a safe
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — a gift
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — of a plant

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