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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · bulb · bat · vault · ball · cold · saw · bass

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bat — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bass — low music
  24. ball — a great time

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