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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: pop · bulb · cell · vault · pit · cabinet · wake · branch

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — music
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. vault — a safe
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pop — soda
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pit — in a race

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