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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — the tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chair — a leader
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hand — in cards
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. toast — bread
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. drill — a practice
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. drill — army training

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