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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
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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: spring · staff · sharp · vault · bulb · tube · branch · stock

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — shares
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. spring — the season
  8. bulb — for light
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stock — goods
  12. tube — the underground
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — a safe
  16. sharp — clever
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — of water
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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