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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stand — to bear
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. chair — a leader
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bound — certain
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bound — tied together
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stand — for spectators

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