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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: bulb · lash · vault · calf · bay · file · degree · pit

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. degree — from a university
  6. file — a tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. file — a document
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bulb — of a plant

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