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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. vault — a safe
  8. content — the amount
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — a container
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wound — an injury
  23. face — to confront
  24. stem — to come from

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