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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fall — the season
  6. drill — army training
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bound — tied together

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