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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: rush · wax · stick · bulb · vault · pitch · cold · bank

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bank — for money
  24. vault — a safe

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