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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: vault · bulb · saw · kid · plane · firm · object · wound

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kid — child
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. vault — a safe
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — steady
  24. plane — a tool

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