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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. current — electric
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ground — the earth
  9. current — of water
  10. mug — a face
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ground — a position
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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