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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 120 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: tube · bulb · rock · last · vault · row · prune · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — finally
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — to go on
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tube — a container
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. prune — to trim
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — a line
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rock — a stone
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. row — to paddle
  22. last — final
  23. rock — music
  24. prune — the fruit

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