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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 124 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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a ring
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. clip — a video
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. clip — to cut
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. clip — for paper
  23. band — a music group
  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