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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: vault · bark · press · firm · bulb · shower · fine · tube

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bark — to shout
  7. press — to push
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bulb — for light
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. firm — decided
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tube — a container
  20. vault — a safe
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fine — all right
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. firm — steady

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