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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: vault · toast · straw · bulb · fan · bore · root · pop

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. toast — bread
  4. root — the cause
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pop — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — soda
  12. bulb — for light
  13. root — of a plant
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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