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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bore — to tire
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fall — the season
  12. vault — a safe
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — for catching
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — after costs
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — in sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a round shape

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