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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: swing · row · vault · bear · bulb · shower · mate · charge

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — a price
  7. mate — a friend
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — in control
  12. shower — rain
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. swing — music
  16. row — a line
  17. charge — electricity
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. shower — to wash
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. swing — in golf
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bear — the animal

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