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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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