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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: present · fall · cell · chest · vault · court · stick · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. court — of law
  5. vault — a safe
  6. present — there
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — a box
  9. cell — a phone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — for sport
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chest — of your body
  16. present — a gift
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — of a king
  19. present — the time now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fall — to drop

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