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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: wave · content · bowl · rest · rush · bulb · root · vault

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. root — of a word
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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