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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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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: wound · fork · vault · bear · bulb · hide · jam · cold

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. vault — a safe
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bear — the animal
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cold — an illness
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — a garden tool

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