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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 · kick · wake · fine · bulb · rush · vault · stand

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — all right
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wake — a trail
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kid — child
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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