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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: present · last · spring · tube · march · stick · vault · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — the time now
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — to go on
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. last — final
  9. present — there
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spring — the season
  13. last — finally
  14. march — music
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. spring — of water
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — a container
  22. present — a gift
  23. march — the month
  24. spring — a coil

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