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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: foot · stand · bulb · rash · squash · vault · spring · net

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. net — in sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. rash — hasty
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — to crush
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spring — the season
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — for catching
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. spring — of water
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rash — a series
  23. net — after costs
  24. foot — the bottom

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