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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · mug · band · pass · sharp · ground · plane · bulb

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ground — a position
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. band — a ring
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. band — a music group
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bulb — for light

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