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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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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: mine · fan · tube · vault · suit · tear · bulb · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — a safe
  9. tube — a container
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. tube — the underground
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. suit — in cards
  24. tear — from crying

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