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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
468
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: jam · straw · bulb · leaves · net · club · last · vault

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. vault — a safe
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. last — to go on
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bulb — for light
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. club — a group
  17. net — in sport
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. last — final
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. last — finally
  23. club — for golf
  24. net — for catching

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