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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · can · arm · net · stick · vault · pop · bulb

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. net — after costs
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — in sport
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pop — to visit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. can — a tin
  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