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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. craft — boats
  17. spell — letters
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rest — a break
  23. craft — a skill
  24. can — a tin

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