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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: bat · rock · bulb · present · vault · sharp · mug · toast

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mug — a face
  4. present — a gift
  5. rock — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rock — a stone
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bat — the animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. present — the time now
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. sharp — clever
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rock — to move gently

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