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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: object · wound · can · staff · bulb · mate · hand · vault

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hand — in cards
  7. staff — a stick
  8. object — an aim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — a thing
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — a safe
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a friend
  24. can — a tin

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