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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: fall · bulb · bay · vault · mate · capital · press · nail

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fall — the season
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — a safe
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bulb — for light
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — money
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. nail — for a hammer

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