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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: firm · march · vault · lash · fan · rush · bulb · bat

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. firm — steady
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bat — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. march — the month
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. march — the month
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. march — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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