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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. race — a contest
  4. content — happy
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — a grade
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mark — a trace
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. tube — a container
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. race — the arms race
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bulb — for light
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. race — humankind

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