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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: kid · lie · stem · cabinet · vault · ball · bulb · wound

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a great time
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lie — to recline
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kid — child
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lie — an untruth

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