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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · can · straw · vault · land · file · wound · face

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. can — to be able to
  4. face — to point toward
  5. land — to come down
  6. wound — an injury
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. file — a document
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a line of people
  18. land — a country
  19. vault — a safe
  20. can — a tin
  21. land — ground
  22. face — part of the head
  23. file — a tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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