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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: toast · vault · bore · lash · fan · bulb · wound · pound

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bulb — for light
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. toast — bread
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lash — an eyelash

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